Nigerian Sports Federations had their elections on Thursday in Abuja but stakeholders of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NNBF) and the Caretaker committee disagreed over the position of the ministry of sports on the constitution to be used for the election which eventually culminated in the postponement of the election to a yet to be announced date.
Stakeholders had cried foul on the position of the ministry to use the obsolete constitution to conduct election into the board but the Minister of sports, Sunday Dare and his staff insisted on conducting the election using the said constitution.
The alleged attempt by the ministry staffer acting on the instruction of the Minister met stiff opposition on Thursday during stakeholders meeting at the Package B of the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Abuja.
The President of the Basketball Referees’ Council in Nigeria, Tunde Popoola, had expressed disappointment on how the Ministry of sports in collaboration with the caretaker committee President of the NBBF, Ahmed Musa Kida was planning to conduct the affairs of the suspended elections.
Poopola faulted the NBBF’s claims that all stakeholders were aware of the constitution review of the elections which he said there was a possibility for the current leadership of the NBBF to manipulate the constitution to favour them.
It will be recalled that the ministry of sports had issued a press statement and directed that the NBBF should go-ahead to organize their election last Thursday in accordance with the approved constitution by the international body FIBA.
The Ministry further directed the Caretaker President of NBBF Ahmadu Musa Kida to ensure that the election is in accordance with the approved procedures in the constitution.
The release stated in part, “With the benefit of correspondence and communication with the Federation of International Basketball Associations(FIBA) and an all-inclusive basketball stakeholders’ meeting at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, as well as a careful review of the laws and regulations governing the relationships between Government, as represented by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development(FMYSD), the National Federations and their international bodies, the Ministry is hereby properly guided and issues the following positions:
“The NBBF has a Constitution recognized by FIBA and this was confirmed again in a recent correspondence with the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) from FIBA. The Ministry recognizes this and abides with it.
